Windshield cleaner



March 13, 1934.

J. R. OlSHEl ET AL WINDSHIELD CLEANER Original Filed March 11. 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 1 John 1. 0/3/26! 5 am a w a? m 02 H March 13, 1934. J 15 rAL Re. 19,113

WINDSHIELD CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 11 1925 War Wmhwmm 2 efi Reissued Mar. 13, 1934 WINDSHIELD CLEANER John R. Oishei,Henry Hueber, and William Paulus, Buflalo, and Erwin N. Y., assignors toTrico Buffalo, N. Y.

C. Horton, Hamburg, roducts Corporation,

Original No. 1,783,582, dated December 2, 1930, Serial No.'14,755, March11, 1925. Application for reissue November 28, 1932, Serial No. 644,722

11 Claims. (Cl. 15-255) This invention relates to windshield cleaners,and more particularly to the construction or assembly of the wipercarrying arms of such dev ces.

There are in use certain typesof Windshields for automobiles whichcomprise a single windshield glass panel pivoted or hinged along theupper edge to the header bar of the front frame of the vehicle. It isdesirable in constructions of this kind to mount the windshield cleaneron the header bar of the vehicle frame but the use of a windshieldcleaner having an integral, resilient or spring wiper carrying arm isimpracttcable owing to the swinging of the windshield g.ass.

The objects of this invention are to provide a windshield cleaner'havinga wiper carrying arm which will resiliently bear upon the glass withproper pressure at any desired inclination of the windshield glass or ofthe wiper carrying arm to its operating shaft. A further object is toprovide a novel method of mounting orassembling' an improved connectionbetween the wiper carrying arm of a windshield cleaner and its operatingshaft so as to facilitate installationof the cleaner on a car, and alsoto provide a connector for a,wiper carrying arm which may be supplied atrelatively small cost and may be readily replaced. A still furtherobject is to provide a readily detachable squeegee holder'which mayeasily be attached to the operating shaft without the use of tools orwithout any clamping pressure brought thereon.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a windshield and of awiper embodying the invention, showing the windshield glass in partlyopen position.

vFig. 2 is a Sectional elevation of a portion of a windshield and of awiper embodying the invention showing the windshield glass in closedposition.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the spring connector for the wipercarrying arm.

Fig. 4 is a'plan view of a portion of the windshield wiper showing apart of the header bar of the vehicle frame in section.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a portion of a windshield cleaner showing amodified form of the invention, the wiper carrying arm being detachedfrom its operating shaft.

Figs. 6 and '7 are elevations of portions of windshield cleanersembodying the invention, illustrating the method of attaching the wipercarrying arm of the modified form shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic-showing illustrating the compensating action bywhich the pressure of the wiper blade on the windshield glass ismaintained substantially uniform for different angular positions ofthe'latter.

In Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, A designates a front header bar orother fixed part of a motor vehicle frame or of a windshield frame.There is hinged to this header bar a windshield glass section Bmounted'in a frame, of which a portion C is shown, which upper frameportion ishinged to the header bar, as at D. As shown in Fig. 2, whenthe windshield is closed, the glass section is normally in substantiallyvertical position and when the windshield glass is open it swingsoutwardly, as indicated in Fig. 1. It has been found that in suchconstruction of windshield, the cleaners which employ a resilient wipercarrying arm consisting, for example, of

spring strip material, are undesirable as when the windshield glass isopen the wiper is forced against the glass with an undue pressure,resulting in disastrous distortions of the rubber wiper strip or toogreat a strain upon the bearing for the rock shaft which swings thewiper.

There is illustrated a cleaner of the automatic type having anatmospheric air motor E which oscillates a rock shaft F. In the formillustrated, the motor E is mounted on the inner side of the header barand an extension of the rock shaft F extends through the header bar tothe outside of the windshield. Any suitable type of actuating means forthe wiper strip or for the rock shaft F may be employed. In theembodiment shown, the rock shaft F swings a rod or wiper-carrying arm Gwhich has connected to it a wiper strip H havinga suitable'wiper elementI of rubber or other desired composition.

In order to permit substantially free swinging or opening of thewindshield glass, and at the same time maintain proper pressure of thewiper strip upon the glass, the wiper carrying rod is provided at itsconnection with the rock shaft or other actuating member with meansoperating to urge the wiper strip resiliently against the windshieldglass. This-means is preferably in the form of a coil spring and inaddition to urging the wiper strip against the glass, preferably forms adetachable connection between the wiper carrying arm and its actuatingmember. In the embodiment shown, the actuating member or rock shaft isprovided with a recess or hole 10 adapted v to receive a part of thewiper carrying arm and All . member.

the wiper carrying arm is bent at its upper end to provide a part 11which extends through the hole in the rock shaft so that the wipercarrying arm will swing in unison with the rock shaft.- The connector orspring. device prefer-' ably embodies means for detachably holding thewiper carrying rod in connection with the rock shaft to swing therewith,and means for exerting spring pressure upon the wiper carrying rod, andin the embodiment shown, this is accomplished by providing the springmember with a shaft engaging portion 12 which engages the rock shaft anda rod engaging portion 13 through which a portion of the wiper carryingrod preferably extends. The connector is further provided withanextension or leg portion 14 which engages the wiper carrying rod atanother point in order to exert the pressure of the spring thereon andmaintain the device connected. As illustrated, this leg 14 may beprovided with a substantially hookedend 15 which slidably engages thewiper carrying rod.

The device is readily assembled by shoving the shaft engaging portion 12onto the shaft to surround a portion of the shaft and by inserting hebent end 11 of the wiper carrying rod in the hole 10 in the shaft andthrough the rod engaging portion 13 of the spring member. The leg 14 isthen hooked into the wiper carrying rod, the wiper carrying rod beingthus detachably and resiliently connected to the'rock shaft or actuatingReverse operations to those specified result in a ready removal of thewiper carrying rod. The spring connector may be produced at a.

very small cost and the spring connectors may be replaced as desired inorder to provide for proper spring pressure on the wiper strip at alltimes.

In the form shown in Figs. 5 to 1,.E' designates the motor with its rockshaft F and G esignates the wiper carrying arm. The rock shaft F isprovided with a hole or opening 10' to receive the part or end 11' ofthe wiper carrying arm. The shaft is further preferably provided with ahole or opening 16 spaced from the hole or opening 10'. 1'1 designatesthe spring pressure member and detachable connector. This spring deviceis preierably mounted on the upper end of the wiper carrying arm so thatthe lower end of the spring may have sliding engagement with the wipercarrying arm. The spring is also provided with a tensioning member orpart adapted to bear on the shaft a. distance from the pivotal, connec--tion of the wiper carrying arm with the shaft. In the embodiment shown,this is in the form of a leg 18 having a bent end portion 19 which isadapted toextend through the hole or opening 16 in the shaft. Thisconnection detachably secures the wiper carrying rod to the shaft and asthe wiper carrying rod is swung relatively to the shaft the leg 18compresses the spring 17, thereby resiliently pressing on the wipercarrying arm below its pivot and resiliently pressing the wiper carryingarm toward the windshield glass.

Figs. 5 to 7 illustrate the method of mounting the form of springpressure member shown therein. As indicated in Fig. 6, to connect thewiper carrying rod to the shaft, the end 19 of the part 18 is insertedin the hole or opening 16. The end 11 of the wiper carrying rod is theninserted in the hole or opening 10', as shown in Fig. 7, which operationconnects the parts. Reverse operations disconnect the wiper carrying armfrom its operating shaft.

Should the windshield be moved to an open position, the arm G will moveforwardly there with, such as from the full line position to the dottedposition in Fig. 8, swinging about the axis 10. At the same time thepart 18 moves about the fulcrum end or axis 19. Since the two elements Gand 18 move about different pivots it will be obvious that the lower endof part 18 will ride along the arm G a distance, such as indicated at20. The spring 17 will therefore be compressed the extent indicated at20 so that the spring tension will be increased.

' However, during this increased tensioning of the spring the effectiveleverage is also varied to compensate for such increased tension. Theline of spring force being substantially coincident with the arm Gand'exe'rting a downward pull on the diagonal part 18 in Fig. 8, theleverage may then be designated by the line 21 which is dropped from thefulcrum 10' perpendicularly to the line of spring force. Thisperpendicular distance decreases as the blade carrying arm G is movedfrom the full line position to the dotted line position of Fig. 8 andtherefore when the parts are in the dotted line position the leverage(indicated by the line 22) will be shorter than the leverage 21.Consequently, since the spring tension increases as the leverageshortens the resultant spring pressure in the wiping contact of theblade on the glass will be maintained substantially uniform. Thus, withthe arrangement depicted in Figs. 5, 6 and'l, the wiper blade will beoperated on the windshield glass under substantially the same uniformwiping pressure, whether the glass is at right angles to the oscillatingshaft F or inclining forwardly therefrom.

It will be noted that this mounting of the wiper moving arm permits thewiper moving arm to swing from a position in which it is at an acuteangle to the axis of the operating shaft or member to a position whereinit is co-planar with the axis of the wiper moving shaft or member, ifdesired, or to any intermediate position. If the wiper moving arm isswung from the acute angle position, the spring is compressed and springpressure or pull is exerted upon the wiper moving arm by the connectingleg or member and the springportion. This construction permits thewindshield glass to be swung to any desired position while the wiperoperating shaft remains in its original position and insures that springpressure is always properly placed on the wiper member. It will befurther noted that a simple and readily detachable squeegee holder hasbeen provided in which the squeegee or wiper I is carried on the lowerend of the holder 'arm G (G),

the only connection-securing means required beto replace an old arm itis only necessary after t removing the old arm, to pass the upper end ofthe new arm into the hole 10' and then hook or engage the free end ofthe connection-securing part or extension 18 over the shaft F. We claimas our invention:-

1. In a windshield cleaner, an operating mem- Bil LLS

ber extending at an angle to the face plane of the windshield glass, awiper moving arm pivotally connected to said operating member to swingto a position substantially at a right angle to said member and to aposition alined with the axis of said member, and a coil spring mountedon said arm and surrounding a portion of said am a distance below thepivotal connection to said member and having apart extending from thelower ibis 1 bearing and to urge the arm portion of said coil spring andbearing on said member at a point spaced from said pivotal connectionfor resiliently'urging said arm toward the windshield glass.

2. In a windshield cleaner, an operating shaft extending at an angle tothe face plane of the windshield glass, said operating shaft having apair of spaced recesses therein, a wiper mov'ing arm having a portionengaged in one of the recesses of said shaft for pivotally connectingsaid arm to said shaft to swing from a posit-ion at a substantial rightangle to said shaft to a position substantially alined with the axis ofsaid shaft, a retractile coil spring surrounding said arm and having apart engaged in the other of said recesses at a point spaced from thepivotal connection for resiliently urging said arm toward the windshieldglass.

3. In a windshield cleaner, a wiper carrying arm, an actuating membertherefor, one of said elements having a transverse opening and the otherof said elements having a laterally bent part pivotally engaging in thetransverse opening, and a spring coiled about one of said elements andhaving its two ends secured respectively to the arm and actuatingmember.

4. In a windshield cleaner, a wiper arm, an

actuating shaft pivotally connected thereto, a'

spring coiled about the arm and bearing at one end thereon adjacent theshaft, and means connecting the opposite end of the spring to the shaftat a point spaced from the pivotal connection of said wiper arm andadapted to tension the spring during pivotal movement of the arm on theshaft. r 5. Ina windshield cleaner, an actuating shaft having atransverse recess, a wiper arm having one end portion formed of wire.and bent laterally to engage in the recess and constitute a pivotalconnection between the shaft and arm to permit the latter to swing in adirection lengthwise of the shaft, andmeans for releasably securing thepivotal connection.

6. In a windshield cleaner, a wiper carrying arm having a pintle part atone end, an actuating member for the arm having a bearing in which saidpintle part engages for pivoting on an axis parallel to the windshieldgl said pintle part projecting from its bearing, nd a spring device forsecuring the pintle part against displacement from its bearing, saidspring device comprising a spring body coiled about the projectingportion of the pintle part and having one end coiled about saidactuatingmember and its opposite end extending downwardly alongside of said wipercarrying arm and embracing the same to secure the arm againstdisplacement from its toward the windshield glass.

'7. In a windshield cleaner, a wiper carrying arm having a pintle partat one end, an actuating member for thearm having a bearing in whichsaid pintle part engages for pivoting on an axis parallel to thewindshield glass, and a dual functioning device acting to secure thepintle part against displacement from its bearing and to urge the wiperarm toward the glass, and comprising a coiled spring body mountedco-axially with said pintle part and having one end fixed and theopposite end extended downwardly along the wiper carrying arm andterminating in a hook for releasably engaging over and embracing saidarm.

8. In a windshield cleaner, an actuating mem-; her having a partprovided with a bearing whose axis lies in a. plane, parallel to thewindshield glass, a wiper carrying arm having an angular extensionconstituting a pintle for engaging in said bearing and operating aboutsaid axis whereby said arm will swing in a plane perpendicular totheglass, and a spring-securing device mounted on the actuating memberand having a part extending along said arm to a point spaced from saidpintle and terminating in a seat for receiving said arm to hold itagainst lateral pintle-displacing movement and also to urge the armtoward the glass for creating a wiping contact.

9. In a windshield cleaner, an actuating member having a part providedwith a bearing whose axis lies in a plane parallel to the windshieldglass, a wiper-carrying arm having an angular extension constituting apintle for engaging in said bearing and operating about said axiswhereby said arm will swing in a plane perpendicular to the glass, and aspring-securing device having a section coiled about the pintle to becoaxial therewith, one end of the coiled section being extendedalongside the arm and terminating in a seat, and said seat having a partengaging over the outer surface of the arm to urge the latter toward theglass and to prevent displacement of said pintle.

10. Ina windshield cleaner, an actuating member having a part providedwith a bearing whose axis lies ina plane parallel to the windshieldglass, a wiper carrying arm having an angular extension constituting apintle for engaging in said bearing and operating about said axiswhereby said arm will swing in a plane perpendicular to the glass, and aspring-securing device having a mounting part adjacent said pintle and asubstantially straight leg extending along said arm and terminating inan angularly related seat to receive the arm.

11. A mounting for the wiper carrying arm of windshield cleaners formaintaining a substantially uniform pressure in the wiping contact ofthe wiper on the windshield under varying positions of the wipercarrying arm in its angular relationship to the shaft, said mountingcomprising an operating shaft, a wiper carrying arm pivotally connectedto the shaft for swinging in a plane lengthwise thereof, and resilientmeans pivotally connected to the shaft at a point spaced from said armpivot connection for moving with the arm as the latter swings about itspivot, said resilient means having an effective connection to the arm ata point remote from both of the pivotal connections aforesaid and actingto exert a pressure on its points of connection to the. shaft and arm ina line between said points of connection whereby as the arm is movedabout its pivot the angularity between such line of pressure and theline between said pivot points will be varied, and when the arm is movedin a manner to cause an increase in the pressure of said resilient meanson the arm the effective leverage of said resilient means will bedecreased to offset such pressure increase in its magnitude.

JOHN R. OISHEI.

HENRY HUEBER. WILLIAM PAULUS. ERWIN C. HORIUN.

